The present invention generally relates to a hair cutting instrument and more particularly, to an improved electric hair clipper which is arranged to releasably mount a blade unit having a stationary blade and a movable blade in an efficient manner, with respect to a head portion pivotally connected to a grip portion of a main body casing.
As shown by FIG. 2 illustrating the general appearance of an electric hair clipper according to one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the hair clipper includes a main body casing 1 having a grip portion 1a and a head portion 1b provided with a stationary blade 63 and a movable blade 64 adapted to slidably move on the stationary blade 63, and the head portion 1b is pivotally connected to the grip portion 1a at a support axis 3 for pivotal movement between a fundamental position where it is held generally on a straight line with respect to the grip portion 1a and an inclined position where it is turned upwardly at an angle with respect to the grip portion 1a.
When the head portion 1b having the stationary blade 63 and the movable blade 64 is arranged to be pivotable with respect to the grip portion 1a as described above, it is possible to provide versatility in the cutting operation by adopting different modes of applications suitable for various cuttings, as compared with general hair clippers in which a head portion at a blade edge side is integrally formed on a straight line with respect to a grip portion of a main body casing, with a stationary blade being held at a predetermined angle with respect to the head portion of the main body casing, although not particularly shown.
More specifically, in the arrangement having the head portion 1b adapted to be pivotable with respect to the grip portion 1a as shown in FIG. 2, the hair clipper is convenient for use in trimming-up, downy hair cutting, cutting at a top portion of a head, etc. at the fundamental position where the head portion 1b is held on a straight line with respect to the grip portion 1a, when the hair clipper is used at another position where the head portion 1b is inclined upwardly with respect to the grip portion 1a, it is efficiently applied to the uniform cutting around ears, trimming, combining-cut, forelock cutting, etc.
Incidentally, in the hair clipper as described above with reference to FIG. 2, it is necessary to facilitate maintenance of the stationary blade 63 and the movable blade 64, and also removal of cut hair therefrom, and for this purpose, such blades 63 and 64 have been accommodated in a blade unit 33, which is detachably mounted onto the head portion 1b. In the above case, it is required to provide means for releasably mounting the blade unit 33 onto the head portion 1b in an efficient manner.
As shown of a conventional hair clipper in FIG. 1 having the pivotable head portion of the above type with respect to the grip portion G of the main body casing C, if the arrangement is so made, for example, that a blade unit B is pivotally and detachably connected, at its rear side edge Bb, with a head portion H through a hinge T, while a forward edge Ba of the blade unit B is releasably engaged with the head portion H through a lock means L, removal of the blade unit B from the head portion H is to be effected in such a manner that the blade unit B is released from locking via the locking means L by strongly depressing the blade unit B downward, with a finger being applied to the blade edge S of the blade unit B projecting forward from the head portion H, so as to be subsequently turned downwardly and rearwardly about the hinge portion T, and thereafter, is disengaged from the head portion H at the hinge portion T. However, when the blade unit B is strongly depressed downward for disengagement as described above, the forward edge of the head portion H is also to be depressed hard downwardly, thus resulting in such disadvantages that excessive loads or torsion are applied to the pivotal axis, and pivotal angle restricting portion, etc. of the head portion H, thereby tending to cause disengagement or damages at these portions. Moreover, adhesion of cut hair and oil at the blade edge, to the finger tips gives an unpleasant feeling to a user, and since the finger tips contact the blade edge, there may be some people who feel unsafe, thus presenting a problem from the viewpoint of actual use.